I. The Scriptural Lections.

¶ The Priest proceeds to bless the branches of palm and olive or other trees; such branches being laid before the middle of the Altar or at EPISTLE corner, and first the Choir shall sing the Antiphon:


St. Matt. 21.
Hosanna to the Son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. O King of Israel: Hosanna in the highest.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray. Collect.
O GOD, whose love and service is our righteousness, increase, we pray thee, and multiply upon us the gifts of thy unspeakable grace: that like as by the death of thy Son thou hast given unto us the hope of our faith; so by his resurrection we may be brought unto the country which we seek. Who liveth and reigneth with thee.

THE LESSON. Exodus 15:27-16:7
27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD;

¶ Then shall be sung for the gradual:

R. St. John II. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said : What do we, for this man doeth many miracles? If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him : * And the Romans shall come, and take away both our place and nation. V. And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them : it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. From that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death, saying : And the Romans shall come.

Or this

R. St. Matt. 26. On the Mount of Olives he prayer to his Father: O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from. * The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. V. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed.

GOSPEL. St. Matthew 21:1-9
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strowed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

II. The Blessing of the Palms

¶ Then shall the branches be blessed. And the Priest standing at EPISTLE corner shall say in the ferial tone of the Collect.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray. Collect.
INCREASE, O Lord, we pray thee, the faith of them that put their trust in thee, and graciously hear the prayers of thy humble servants : send down upon us the manifold gifts of thy mercy and vouchsafe to bless these branches of palm or olive ; that like as in a figure of thy church thou didst bless Noah going forth from the ark, and Moses going forth out of Egypt with the children of Israel, so we bearing palms and olive-branches may go forth with all good works to meet Christ, our Saviour, and through him enter into everlasting gladness. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God : World without end.
R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up unto the Lord.
V. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
R. It is meet and right so to do.

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father Almighty, Everlasting God. Who art glorified in the council of thy Saints, being acknowledged by all thy creatures, their only Maker and their God : all thy works do praise thee and thy Saints give thanks unto thee: confessing without fear before the kings and rulers of this world the great Name of thy only begotten Son.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying.

And the Sanctus is sung by the Choir.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High. Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.

then shall he say:

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray. Collect.
WE BESEECH thee, O Lord holy, Father almighty, everlasting God : that thou wouldest vouchsafe to bless and sanctify these thy creatures, which thou hast bidden to spring from the wood of the olive tree : which likewise the dove, returning to the ark, did bear in her mouth : granting unto all them that shall receive the same that they may obtain thereby protection both in body and soul : and that, by thy grace which in a figure is shewn forth herein, we may effectually be healed unto everlasting salvation. Through.

Let us pray.
O GOD, who gatherest together the outcasts, and preservest them whom thou hast gathered: who didst bless the people when they went forth bearing branches to meet Jesus : vouchsafe likewise to bless these branches of palm and olive which thy faithful servants shall here receive in honour of thy Name; granting that into whatsoever place they shall bear the same, the dwellers therein may obtain thy blessing : that being delivered from all adversity, they may ever be defended by thy mighty power, who are redeemed by Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with thee.

Let us pray.
O GOD whose wonderful providence hath ordained even lifeless things to shew forth the dispensation of our redemption : grant, we beseech thee; that the devout hearts of thy faithful people may understand aright the mystery which is this day shewn forth. For, as at this time, the multitude by the inspiration of thy heavenly light went forth to meet their Redeemer, and strawed branches of palm and olive in his way, thereby in the branches of palm foreshadowing his triumph over the prince of death and by the boughs of olive proclaiming that the anointing of the Spirit was come. For the multitude rejoiced to know that even then was it prefigured : that our Redeemer, having compassion on the misery of mankind, was making ready to fight against the prince of death for the life of the whole world and by his death to conquer. And therefore obediently they laid before him offerings to signify both the triumph of his victory and the abundance of his mercy. Wherefore we likewise, with sure faith having in memory their deeds and the signification of the same, humbly beseech thee, O LOrd holy, Father almighty, everlasting God, that like as thou hast vouchsafed to make us members of the same Jesus Christ our Lord : so in him and through him, we may win the victory over the powers of death, and be made partakers of his glorious resurrection. Who liveth and reigneth with thee.

Let us pray.
O GOD, who by an olive-branch didst command the dove to proclaim peace on earth : vouchsafe, we beseech thee: to sanctify with thy heavenly blessing these branches of olive and other trees : that for all thy people they may be profitable unto the attainment of everlasting salvation. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Let us pray.
BLESS, O Lord, we pray thee, these branches of palm and olive : and grant ; that as thy people outwardly with their bodies do worship thee, so inwardly in their souls they may serve thee with pure devotion, that they may be victorious over the assaults of the enemy and cleave stedfastly unto all good works. through.

¶ then shall the Priest set incense in the censer, and sprinkle the branches three times with holy water, saying without note and without the Psalm the Antiphon Thou shalt purge me : then shall he cense them three times and afterwards he shall say:

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.
O GOD, who didst send forth thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, into the world for our salvation, that he might humble himself to be made like unto us and call us back unto thee : before whom, at his coming to Jerusalem for the fulfilling of the Scriptures, the multitude of them that believed with fruitful devotion strawed their raiment and palm branches in the way : grant, we beseech thee ; that we may so prepare for him the way of faith, that, every stone of stumbling and rock of offence being done away, our works may blossom before thee with branches of righteousness : and that we may be found worthy to follow in his footsteps. Who liveth and reigneth with thee.

III. The Distribution Of The Palms.

¶ The blessing being thus ended, the first of the Clergy that are present shall approach the Altar and give one of the branches that have been blessed to the Priest. And thereafter, the Priest standing before the Altar shall turn himself to the People and distribute the branches, first to the Clergy singly, according to their order, and lastly, to the People. And as he beginneth to make distribution, the Choir shall sing the Antiphons here set forth:

The children of the Hebrews, bearing branches of olive, went out to meet the Lord, crying out and saying : Hosanna in the highest.

and this Antiphon. The children of the Hebrews strawed their raiment in the way and cried out saying : Hosanna to the Son of David : blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.

¶ And if these be not sufficient, they shall be repeated until all the branches have been distributed.

Then shall the Priest say:

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who didst ordain that Jesus Christ our Lord should ride upon a colt, the foal of an ass, and didst teach the multitudes to straw in his way their raiment and branches of trees, and likewise to sing Hosanna in his praise : grant, we beseech thee ; that we may by thee be enabled to follow them in all innocency of life and be made like unto them in rendering unto thee our true and worthy service. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

IV. The Procession Of The Palms.

¶ Then shall they make the Procession. And first the Priest shall set incense in the censer, and the Deacon turning himself about to the people, shall say: Let us go forth in peace. And the clerks shall answer: In the Name of Christ. Amen.

Antiphon. St. Matt. 21 When the Lord drew nigh unto Jerusalem he sent two of his disciples, saying unto them: Go into the village over against you : and straightway ye shall find an ass's colt tied, whereon never man sat : loose him and bring him unto me. If any man say aught unto you, ye shall say : The Lord hath need of him. They loose him and bring him to Jesus and put on him their clothes, and set him thereon : and some spread their garments in the way, others strawed branches from the trees : and they that followed cried : Hosanna : blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord : blessed is the kingdom of our father David : Hosanna, in the highest : Thou Son of David, have mercy upon us.

Another Antiphon. St. John 12. When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took branches of palm trees : and went forth to meet him, and the children cried saying : This is he that should come for the salvation of the people. This is our salvation and the redemption of Israel. How mighty is he whom Thrones and Dominations go forth to meet. Hail, King, creator of the world, who hast come to redeem us.

Another Antiphon. Six days before the feast of the Passover, when the Lord came to the city of Jerusalem, the children went forth to meet him : and in their hands they took branches of palm-trees and cried with a loud voice, saying : Hosanna in the highest : blessed art thou who hast come in the multitude of thy mercies : Hosanna in the highest.

Another Antiphon. The multitudes with flowers and branches go forth to meet their Redeemer : and render worthy homage to the triumphant conqueror : the Gentiles with their lips proclaim the Son of God : and in the praise of Christ their voices thunder through the sky : Hosanna in the highest

Another Antiphon With the Angels and the children may we be found faithful, crying unto the vanquisher of death : Hosanna in the highest.

Another antiphon. Much people that were come to the feast cried unto the Lord : Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord : Hosanna in the highest.

¶ As the Procession turneth back, two or four Cantors shall enter into the Church, and shutting the door, shall stand with their faces towards the Procession and begin the hymn Gloria, laus, et honor. So shall they sing the first verse and the Priest with the others shall repeat the same, standing without the Church.

Thereafter they that are within shall sing the other verses that follow: either all or as many as seemeth good: and after every verse, they that are without shall sing in answer the first verse.


Hymn. Gloria, laus, et honor.
All glory, laud, and honour to thee, Redeemer, King : to whom the lips of children made sweet Hosannas ring. R. All glory.
Thou art the King of Israel, thou David's royal Son ; who in the Lord's Name comest, the KIng and Blessed One. R. All glory.
The Company of Angels are praising thee on high, and mortal men and all things created make reply. R. All glory.
The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went : our praise and prayer and anthems before thee we present. R. All glory.
To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise : to thee now high exalted our melody we raise. R. All glory.
Thou didst accept their praises, accept the prayers we bring : who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious King. R. All glory.


this ended, the Subdeacon with the shaft of the Cross shall strike the door: which being forthwith opened, the Procession shall enter the Church, singing:

R. When the Lord entered the holy city, the children of the Hebrews foretold the Resurrection of Life. * And bearing branches. And Glory be to the Father shall not be said.

Then shall the Mass be said; and all shall hold the branches in their hands while the Passion and Gospel are sung, but not at any other time.

INTROIT. Domine, ne longe. Ps. 22.
Be not thou far from me, O Lord, thou art my succour, haste thee to help me: save me from the lion's mouth, thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns. Ps. ibid. My God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me: and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint? Be not thou.

COLLECT.
Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the Cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord [Who]

EPISTLE. Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

GRADUAL. Ps. 73. Thou hast holden me by my right hand: thou shalt guide me with thy counsel: and after that receive me with glory. V. Truly God is loving unto Israel, even unto such as are of a clean heart: nevertheless, my feet were almost gone: my treadings had well-nigh slipt: and why? I was grieved at the wicked, I do also see the ungodly in such prosperity.

TRACT. Ps. 22. My God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? V. And art so far from my health ; and from the words of my complaint? V. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not: and in the night season also I take no rest. V. But thou continuest holy, O thou Worship of Israel. V. Our fathers hoped in thee: they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them. V. They called upon thee, and were holpen: they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded. V. But as for me, I am a worm, and no man: a very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people. V. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying: V. He trusted in God, that he would delibver him: let him deliver him, if he will have him. V. They stand staring and looking upon me: they part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. V. Save me from the lion's mouth: thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns. V. O praise, the Lord, ye that fear him: magnify him, all ye seed of Jacob. V. They shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation: they shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness. V. Unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.

¶ The Passion shall be begun immediately: Cleanse my heart is not said, nor is a blessing asked, nor are lights carried, nor incense. The Lord be with you is not said, nor Glory be to thee, O Lord, and the Celebrant, or Deacon, when he announces the Passion of our Lord, does not sign the book, nor himself. And this is to be observed on the other days also, when the Passion is read.

The PASSION of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Click here for a "participatory" Passion

GOSPEL. St. Matthew 27:l-54
1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;
10 And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.
11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
¶ The Creed is said.

OFFERTORY. Ps. 69. Thy rebuke hath broken my heart, I am full of heaviness: I looked for some to have pity on me, but there was no man: neither found I any to comfort me: they gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

SECRET.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that these gifts which we offer in the sight of thy divine majesty, may obtain for us grace to serve thee in this life with all godliness, and bring us in the end to everlasting felicity. Through.

PREFACE of the Cross.

COMMUNION. St. Matt. 26. O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it: thy will be done.

POSTCOMMUNION.
Grant, O Lord, that by the operation of these thy mysteries, we may be cleansed from all our sins: and obtain that which we have asked according to thy will. Through.

At Low Masses the Last Gospel is: When they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, St. Matt 21, as above in the blessing of Palms.